When Love is Just Another 4Letter Word
by KoloheSanji
Summary: WARNING: Ahoy, YAOI ahead! You have thus been warned! This is a sequel to Personal Interest, which was a sequel to Unrequited Interest by Vampire.Otaku1. Will love lure a certain cook away from the Mugiwaras? Or, will it turn out to be his downfall...
1. Love Hurts

**Author's Note:** Okay, so the stupid voices wouldn't stop. Wouldn't stop to the point that I HAD TO write this sequel to "Personal Interest"...which is a sequel to the wonderful "Unrequited Interest" (by the very cool Vampire-Otaku1. LOL!!! Yes, who would have thought that your story would spark such as endless writing flow. Please make it stop! They are driving me nuts! But a good kind of 'nuts'...)

So, **THANK YOU VERY MUCH** to "One Piece" creator (and owner of all the OP characters) Eiichiro Oda, to the creator of "Unrequited Interest" Vampire-Otaku1, and those who bothered to read and review "Personal Interest" Verum and Lady Geuna!!! THANK YOU!!!

**WARNING: Ahoy, YAOI scenes ahead!!! Please be warned!!! Please do not read if that shocks you! (It was IMPORTANT to the story...if it wasn't, it wouldn't be in here...) Thank you.**

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**Chapter 1: _Love Hurts_**

It was still light out when the blonde haired cook awoke. Smiling, he could feel the warm body behind him, and the large muscular arm still wrapped tightly around him.

"I have to go," whispered Sanji as he tried to move out of the arm's grasp.

"Ugh?" Came a low grunt, as the arm increased it's grip on him.

"No really, I have to be going."

Slowly the arm rolled the cook over until he was facing it's owner, a man who could have passed for Zoro in every way, except for a large scar across his right cheek and the scarlet red hair. "Why don't you join my crew instead?" Asked the gruff voice as he pulled the younger man into an inescapable embrace.

Laughing, the blonde could only reply, "I can't leave my crew...especially now..."

Growling, the red haired man pushed the blonde away. "Fine, go be with THEM. Maybe I won't be at the next port you arrive at."

Puzzled by the sudden angry reaction, Sanji got out of bed and started to get dressed. It hadn't always been like this, for the first couple of months everything was magic. Their first meeting, the sweet words, the kind gestures, the magical appearance of his night in shiny armor at every port that they docked at...it was everything that Sanji had imagined that love could be, everything that he wanted...

Then two months ago things had changed. This man, whom he loved with all his heart, had started dropping little comments. Asking him if he had been honest with his crew...making little statements here and there, telling him that they wouldn't understand...asking him to leave the Mugiwaras and to join his crew...becoming angry at the slightest innocuous comments from the blonde cook...

Bending down to give the red-head a peck on the cheek, Sanji let out a sharp cry when he was surprised by a solid backhanded blow to his cheek.

Quickly hopping out of bed, the red haired man immediately started his apologies. "Sanji...I didn't mean...I'm sorry...it's just that...I love you so much..."

Seeing the wariness in the blonde man's eye, the red head slowly wrapped his arms around the cook's slender frame and held him.

XXXXX

_"Where the hell is that stupid Ero-Kokku?"_ the green-haired swordsman asked himself as the sun dipped under the horizon.

It was already sunset and still there was no dinner prepared.

"Sanji! Sanji! I'm hungry!!!" Zoro placed a hand over his eyes, Luffy had been running around the ship for an hour now, looking for that stupid cook...and driving the swordsman up the Going Merry's walls.

_"Yakamashi..."_ the irritated swordsman thought to himself, trying to control his growing temper.

"Sanji!!!" Luffy's shouting continued, "Sanji, quit hiding!!!"

"URUSE!!!" Shouted the swordsman as he had finally hit his limit, "He's NOT on the ship!!!"

Luffy turned around, to face the angry, green-haired man, eyes wide open and looking very innocent. "Zoro, do you know where Sanji is?"

"If I knew, I'd go and drag his sorry ass back to the ship."

"You don't think he's in trouble, do you?"

"If he isn't...HE WILL BE when he gets his ass back here."

As if on cue, a blonde head began to appear over the side of the ship.

"Where the hell have you been?" Growled the angry swordsman.

"Sorry, I was...busy..." Answered the cook, face downcast towards the floor.

"Too busy to do your job?" Zoro continued his line of questioning.

"Back off!" Yelled Sanji, looking up, his face red with anger.

"Wha?" Said Luffy as he saw the large bruise on the cook's cheek. "Sanji, what happened?"

"It's nothing," quietly answered the cook as he dropped his face back down, "Sorry, Luffy. I'll go prepare dinner..."

Before Zoro could ask any more questions Luffy started to yell. "Dinner! Yay! Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat...," as he followed the cook into the kitchen.

While the swordsman watched the cook and his captain walk away, he had a deep gnawing feeling in his gut that something was terribly wrong.

XXXXX

It was Sanji's turn at watch, and the rest of the crew was already asleep, when Zoro made his way up the side of the mast and into the crow's nest.

"So, what happened?" Asked the swordsman as he settled down besides the cook.

"Nothing happened."

"Are you telling me that, THAT..." Zoro pointed to the bruise on Sanji's cheek, which still showed in the moonlight, "is nothing?"

"It was an accident. I walked into a wall."

"And does this wall have a name?"

The blonde man considered trying to ignore the question, but finally decided that it was best to tell the truth. "Yukio. His name is Yukio."

"And Yukio...has a problem?"

"Yeah...me." Mumbled the cook, before continuing, "He wants me to join his crew."

"He wants you to leave us?" The swordsman could hear his voice beginning to sharpen with anger, but he couldn't control it.

"He loves me." Stated the cook, his voice rising to match Zoro's.

"Funny way of showing it."

"It was an accident."

"His fist 'accidently' met your face?"

"He didn't mean to do it."

"So, you want to leave with him?"

"Maybe...I don't know..."

"So, you're willing to sacrifice your...and everyone else's dream for him?!"

The cook didn't answer, and the swordsman could only read the silence as a sign as disloyalty to his captain and the rest of the crew.

"Fine. Just make sure Luffy says it's okay. You need the captain's okay before you leave, otherwise he'll have me hunting you down."

And with that, Zoro left the cook behind to finish the rest of his watch, alone.

XXXXX

**Author's Note:** A-ha! Not what you guys expected when you first started reading this, huh? LOL! (I know, you guys wanted the green-haired one to be in the bed...Sorry!) See you guys in the next chapter...


	2. Why?

**Author's Note:** THANK YOU to Eiichiro Oda (who owns everything in "One Piece"), Vampire-Otaku1 (for "Unrequited Interest"), and Verum who is still kind enough to post reviews of my stories (and no, I won't be sick of you by the end of this...although, the end should be at the next chapter! Hahahahahahaha!!!).

**WARNING: Ahoy, YAOI scenes ahead!!! Please be warned!!! Please do not read if that shocks you! (It was IMPORTANT to the story...if it wasn't, it wouldn't be in here...) Thank you.**

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**Chapter 2: _Why?_**

"So, you've chosen me?!" Shouted the red haired man as the blonde man entered the hotel room.

As the door closed behind him, the cook took a deep breath as he turned to face the other man.

"You know I love you very much?" Asked Sanji, looking into the eyes of the larger man.

"But?" Questioned the red-head, his head tilting a bit.

"But...I can't leave my crew. I'm sorry..." It was breaking the cook's heart to say those words, and he could feel the tears clouding his vision. "I love you...but I can't..."

Turning away from Sanji, the red-head started talking to himself. "I don't believe this...I followed you all across this ocean like a dog on a leash...I did everything I could think of to make you happy...I even offered to make you one of MY crew...and you repay me with saying that you rather be with THEM than with ME?!"

Reaching out to try and calm down the red-head, the cook tried to embrace his love.

"Yukio..."

Shrugging off the younger man, the angry behemoth turned around, face red with fury and eyes harsh and narrowed. "No!!! You are not going to treat ME like that!!!"

Still stunned by the sudden rage that appeared on Yukio's face, Sanji couldn't react fast enough to defend himself. Blow after blow rained down one after another, huge solid fists repeatedly hit the younger man in the face and body. As the cook began to lose consciousness he could feel the tight grip around his throat, cutting off his precious oxygen.

"I love you! Why can't you _love me_?!" Were the last words that rang in Sanji's ears before he passed out.

XXXXX

"Sanji!" Shouted the ravenous captain as he ran around the ship's deck. "Sanji, I'm hungry!!!"

_"Oh no,"_ thought Zoro, _"not again..."_

Zoro had watched as the cook had left the ship that morning, and had followed him as far as a hotel in the middle of town. However, he had not followed the cook inside, and he had left when it seemed like the blonde wouldn't be coming out anytime soon.

However, to do another repeat of the day before?

Gathering up his katanas, the swordsman started his descent down the side of the Going Merry.

"Zoro? Where are you going?" Called Luffy as his first mate started towards town.

"To get that stupid Ero-Kokku!" Shouted Zoro, as he hurried in the general direction of the hotel.

XXXXX

"Which room?!" Shouted the swordsman as he dragged the bellboy down the hall of the hotel. Upset at having found himself lost and wandering around town for an hour looking for this damned hotel, the swordsman was not about to get lost once again 'within' it.

"I think it was this one," replied the frightened man, who pointed at a nearby hotel room door.

"Open it!" Ordered Zoro.

Turing the key in the doorknob, the bellboy could open the door until the chain on the other side stopped it from going any further.

"Out of the way!" Shouted the swordsman before he charged the door, tearing the door from it's frame.

The first thing that the swordsman's eyes settled on was the hulking naked form lying on top of a smaller form in bed.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Shouted the red-haired man.

Angry at the sight, the green-haired man ignored the larger of the two men and hissed as he turned on the lights. "Sorry to spoil your fun, you stupid Ero-Kokku...but..." It was then that Zoro saw the blood-stains on the sheets and heard the pain-filled moans coming from the smaller man.

"Get off of him," growled the swordsman as he drew two of his three swords.

"He's mine!" Shouted the red-head as he yanked the blonde into his arms, illiciting a cry of pain from the bloodied younger man. "I'll kill him before I let him go!"

"You'll never get that chance!" Cried Zoro as he drew his white katana, placing it in his teeth.

In a blur of movement, Zoro charged. And when it was over, the red-head lay motionless on the floor.

Wiping and sheathing his swords, Zoro made his way over to the blonde haired cook.

"Oi, Ero-Kokku." The swordsman gently nudged the cook's slender frame, only to be greeted with a quiet whimper. "It's going to be okay," soothed Zoro as he retrieved the cook's clothes. Carefully wrapping Sanji in the bed sheet, the swordsman picked up the cook and headed for the door.

"Wait!" Shouted the bellboy, "Who's going to pay for the damage to the door?"

"Get it from that red-haired bastard, I don't think he's going to object...to anything..."

XXXXX

**Author's Notes: **Poor Sanji. Why does it seem like I have to make him suffer so? Why? Because it's what you guys like, isn't it?...

Sanji: "Bastards!"  
Zoro: "Serves you right, Ero-Kokku!"  
KS: "Quiet back there!" (Whispers something to Sanji who laughs and quiets down)  
Zoro: "What are you telling him?"  
KS: "Nothing..."  
Sanji: "One day, you'll get yours, Marimo!"  
Zoro: "Nani?"  
KS: "Urusai!"

Sorry about that. Hope you guys like the next chapter...Aloha!


	3. When It's The Real Thing

**Author's Note:** Okay, so far so good. No voices trying to get me to write another sequel...at least not yet. (I need a break, so this is good).

Right now I'd like to do my usual THANK YOU(S): First and foremost, THANK YOU to Eiichiro Oda for creating "One Piece" and all the characters in it. Secondly, THANK YOU to Vampire-Otaku1, whom without those voices wouldn't have forced me to write these stories...driving me mad, I tell you, MAD (but in a good way)... And THANK YOU to Verum, who stuck with me through these two stories (reviewing all the chapters)...this one's for you!!! I hope you like it!

By the way, to Verum: I only update this quickly when they don't leave me alone! (Sanji and Zoro: "REVENGE!!! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!" KS: "URUSAI!!!")

Now for a warning...

**WARNING: Ahoy, YAOI-ish scenes ahead!...  
**

And now to the final chapter...

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**Chapter 3: _When It's The Real Thing_**

As he neared the Going Merry, the green-haired swordsman shouted as loud as he could.

"Chopper! Get out here! Sanji needs you!"

Upon hearing the swordsman's yells, all the Mugiwaras appeared on the ship's deck, ready to help.

Hands magically appeared up the side of the ship. Gently taking the cook's damaged body and passing it up to where the rest of the crew awaited.

Firmly taking hold of their friend, Luffy and Usopp carried Sanji into the lit men's quarters and carefully deposited him on the futon on the floor.

"Everyone outside!" Yelled the little reindeer, not knowing what to expect in the bed sheets.

Delicately pulling back the cloth, the doctor was horrified to see the state that the beaten man was in. Face swollen, jaw badly bruised, ribs bruised and possibly cracked, and red marks around the throat...attempted strangulation?

Gritting his teeth, the furry doctor did the best that he could. Applying medicinal ointment where he thought it would help, and giving the cook a shot to help with the pain. Unfortunately, there was nothing that he could do for the cracked ribs and bruises, only time could heal most of those wounds.

Walking outside onto the moonlit deck, where the rest of the crew waited for his diagnosis, the little reindeer could only say...

"He's badly hurt, and he will need lots of rest...but I think he will be okay..."

XXXXX

Luffy's fist hit the kitchen table, making the rest of the crew jump.

"Who did this?" Demanded the captain, his eyes shadowed in anger.

"He's no longer a problem," answered the swordsman. "That matter has been taken care of."

Eyes still dark with anger, the captain continued asking questions. "Why would someone do this to Sanji?"

Zoro looked down at the table, not wanting to answer the question at hand.

"Why, Zoro?"

Swallowing hard, the swordsman decided that it was time for the truth. "Because he wanted Sanji to go away with him..."

"He did that because he wanted a cook?" Asked the captain, shock resounding in his voice.

"No," stated Zoro as he glanced at Nami, who simply nodded at the swordsman, "it's because he wanted Sanji. They've been seeing each other..."

"Heh?" Questioned Luffy, tilting his head to the side.

"They were in love," answered Zoro. "Well, he 'told' Sanji that he loved him...but what he did to him, that's anything BUT love."

Still trying to comprehend what they were saying, the captain could only cast a puzzled look back towards the swordsman.

"Oh, don't you get it!" Shouted Usopp, "he was in love with another man!"

"And?" Asked Luffy, still not understanding why this other man would want to hurt their Sanji. "I love you, Zoro and Sanji. That doesn't mean I would want to beat you guys up if you chose to leave the crew."

"No, not that kind of love," the sniper argued, frustration growing in his voice. "They were LOVERS...like a man and woman..."

"Oh, like how I Iove Nami and Robin?" Asked Luffy.

"Yes...no...OH, FORGET IT!!!" Shouted Usopp, giving up on his attempt to explain the situation to the captain.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter." Stated the captain, crossing his arms in determination. "Sanji is one of our nakama, and he will always be one of us...even if he ever decides to leave. And NO ONE has the right to treat our nakama like that...NO ONE."

Smiling at his captain's words, Zoro leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

_If only the whole pirating world was like his captain._

XXXXX

It had been over a week since the horrible incident with Yukio, and only now was the cook finally able to resume his duties in the kitchen.

While chewing and swallowing was still a bit uncomfortable, at least now he could get the food down his throat without gagging.

And while his ribs still made every movement around the kitchen excruciating, he thought it was worth it than trying to down anymore of the horrible soup that Usopp or Luffy tried to concoct.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, the cook didn't notice when the kitchen door opened and closed.

"Ero-Kokku," quipped the swordsman as he sat at the kitchen table, "shouldn't you still be resting?"

"Oi, shitty swordsman," snapped the cook as he added the newly sliced potatoes to the stew, "shouldn't I be asking your lazy ass the same thing?"

"You didn't seem to be bothered when this 'lazy ass' saved yours," the swordsman growled half-heartedly.

Looking up at Zoro, the cook muttered a quiet, "Thank you."

Shrugging, the swordsman stated, "Just don't make it a habit, okay?"

"Asshole," smiled the cook as he returned to his cooking.

Getting to his feet, the swordsman walked over and turned the cook in his direction and gently embraced him.

Emotions that had been bottled up deep inside finally poured out of the cook, as his anger and frustration took the form of tears that began to soak the shoulder of the swordsman's shirt.

"Luffy knows," the green-haired man whispered to the cook, as he quickly added, "and he's fine with it."

Wiping the tears with the sleeve of his dress shirt, Sanji smiled just as Luffy came bursting through the kitchen doors.

"Sanji! Zoro!" Shouted the enthusiastic Luffy as he ran, barreling full force towards the two men.

"Luffy, NO!!!" Yelled Zoro just before the captain collided into them.

As screams of excitement, pain and laughter erupted from the kitchen, Nami, Robin, Chopper and Usopp smiled. After all, it was just another day in their lives on the Going Merry.

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**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, everyone!!! (Especially you Verum! Thanks for sticking around!) I really do hope that you enjoyed it! Aloha!


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